New publication on rainforests and forest protected areas in West Africa
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On the International Day of Forests, discover the little known dense rainforests of West Africa, the ‘Guinean forests’, a belt of moist tropical forests stretching from Guinea to Cameroon (interrupted only by the Dahomey Gap in Togo and Benin).
🌳Home to critically endangered species such as the forest elephant, Cross River gorilla and western chimpanzee, they support unique plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world, like the pygmy hippo and the Western Nimba toad.
🌳Their ecosystems maintain the water cycle, prevent soil erosion and regulate the global climate. They are a vital source of medicine, food and fibres. But they suffer immense pressure from deforestation and have lost 85% of their original cover.
🌳Find out more in a new publication, the first of its kind on the Guinean forests biome: ‘Rainforests and forest protected areas in West Africa: current situation and outlook’. Produced by the EU PAPFor programme (2019-2025, https://papfor.org ) and available in English and French
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